The Malayalam month of Karkidakam is when you nourish and rejuvenate your body with special ayurvedic treatments and dishes infused with medicinal herbs. The marunnu kanji or the porridge made with special grains and herbs boosts immunity and cleanses your system. Here's how you could make the marunnu kanji at home.

Ingredients
100 gms de-husked navara rice
5 gms fenugreek
5 gms ashali (lepidium sativum)
5 gms cumin
Half of kakkavattu
Medicinal herbs:
Mukutti (biophytum sensitivum)
Chathura venal
Kozhalvatha kodi
Nilapala (Euphorbia thymifolia)
Leaf of adalodakam (Malabar nut)
Karimkurinji (Strobilanthus)
Thazhuthama (Boerhavia diffusa)
Cherula (Aerva lanata)
Keezharnelli (Phyllanthus niruri)
Kayyunyam (Eclipta prostrate)
Karuka pullu (Bermuda grass)
Muyal cheviyan (Emilia sonchifolia)

Preparation
Crush the medicinal herbs and squeeze out its juices by adding boiled water.
Add the navara rice into the herbal extracts which is six times more. Into it add ashali, cumin, fenugreek and salt as required.
Cook on low flame. Add the ground kakkavattu when it is half cooked.
Add coconut milk after the rice has cooked well. Give it a good mix and turn off the flame.
Heat half spoon ghee and roast a pinch of ashali, fenugreek and cumin. Add this into the marunnu kanji.
This Karkidaka marunnu kanji could also be prepared by avoiding coconut milk and ghee.

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